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A growing trend, with growing support.

Dry needling in physical therapy is increasing, but the regulatory landscape is uneven, with the intervention being included in the PT scope of practice in some states and not others.

APTA supports the inclusion of dry needling in regulatory frameworks, accompanied by appropriate educational qualifications for PTs to engage in the intervention.

Recommended Content

Dry Needling State Laws

Jun 16, 2023 / Infographic

This map displays the states that specifically allow dry needling by PTs, states that prohibit the intervention by PTs, and states in which a clear opinion has not surfaced.

Dry Needling: Getting to the Point

May 1, 2015 / Feature

Dry needling by physical therapists is a hot topic. What's fact? What's fiction? Take a look beneath the surface.

FSBPT Analysis of Competencies for Dry Needling by Physical Therapists

Jul 10, 2015 / Report

In 2015, FSBPT set out to define what PTs must know and be able to do to perform dry needling safely and effectively. This study reveals the answers.

Additional Dry Needling Content

Regulatory Update, Feb. 2, 2022: CMS on Beneficiary Payment for Dry Needling

Feb 2, 2022 / Article

CMS still isn't paying for dry needling, but it has provided some guidance on how to successfully bill a beneficiary for the service.

Busting Payment Myths (and Regulating Your Expectations) Part 4

Nov 15, 2021 / Article

Topics covered in this article: dry needling payment and telehealth audits.

Dry Needling, Trigger Points, and Myofascial Pain Syndrome – #XchangeSA

Oct 7, 2019 / Podcast

Joseph Donnelly, PT, DHS , discusses what you need to know about dry needling, trigger points, and myofascial pain syndrome and how physical therapy can work in these areas.

For Consumers: Dry Needling: What You Should Know

Aug 1, 2018 / Website

This webpage from APTA's consumer-focused ChoosePT.com website provides an overview of the intervention, related equipment used, and the PT's role.

Study: Adding Dry Needling to Exercise for Shoulder Pain Could Reduce Broad...

Mar 21, 2018 / Review

Adding trigger point dry needling to an exercise program for patients with chronic shoulder pain may be more cost-effective than exercise alone, according to a recent clinical trial.